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Block, Gelsomino win Olympus Rally

September 24, 2012

Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino won the Olympus Rally in Olympia, Wash., on Sunday. Photo by Matthew Young

The Monster World Rally Team's Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino overcame a challenging rally car field and extremely dusty conditions to win their first Olympus Rally and their second Rally America national event of the season on Sunday at Olympia, Wash.

Block, from Park City, Utah, and Gelsomino, from Santa Clarita, Calif., led the Olympus Rally from the start in their 2012 Ford Fiesta, winning all but one stage.

“I haven't been able to win this event in the past,” said Block. “So it feels really good to come back and get this one. The stages here feel like World Rally Championship roads.”

David Higgins and Craig Drew finished second for Subaru, while Antoine L' Estage and Nathalie Richard finished third.

Subaru Rally Team USA's Higgins and Drew arrived at Olympus with a new white livery celebrating four Rally America National Championships. They focused on winning Olympus and avenging a second-place finish to Block at February's Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. But the team fell behind early when their car struck a large rock on stage four that forced them to go through the stage with a damaged front corner.

Rockstar Energy Drink's L'Estage from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and Richard from Halifax, Nova Scotia, made a special cross-country trip to compete against Block and Higgins, but the team experienced difficulties after they hit the same rock as Higgins. L'Estage dropped to fifth before finishing in third place overall.

Two drivers from the Canadian Rally Championship made the top five battle more interesting but did not finish the rally. Last minute entry, Patrick Richard from Squamish, British Columbia, and Darren Garrod from the U.K., driving for Subaru Rally Team Canada, broke a driveshaft on the third stage. Richard was as high as fifth overall at the time of his retirement.

Can-Jam Motorsports' Leonid Urlichich from Thornhill, Ont., and Carl Williamson from Ammanford, U.K., went off the road on stage eight and was unable to continue after running as high as fifth.

The 2012 Super Production Championship was decided at Olympus after Lauchlin O'Sullivan from San Francisco, Calif., and Scott Putnam from Minneapolis, Minn., not only to got the single point he needed to clinch the Super Production championship, but he won the class at Olympus.

SP Class second-place finishers, Byron Garth from Bend, Ore., and co-driver Chrissie Beavis from San Diego, Calif., were penalized on a technical infraction and was moved to fifth place in class. Mike Goodwin from Aurora, Ore., and Martin Brunley from Winfield, B.C., assumed second place and made the Rally America podium for the first time. 19 year-old Mason Moyle from Houghton, Mich.,and John Hall from Sherwood Park, Alberta, rounded out the podium for their second one this year.

Chris Duplessis from Bethlehem, N.H., and Alex Kihurani from Philadelphia, Pa., withstood challenges from Scion Racing and the Summit Rally team to secure Duplessis' third 2WD National Championship.